


Seasonal Package: Winter Wonderland Bonanza 2019

by EndlessExplorer



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman: Arkham (Video Games), Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition, Fallout 4, Fallout: New Vegas, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Dinner, Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Morning, Christmas Music, Christmas Party, Christmas Presents, Christmas Shopping, F/M, Family, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Idiots in Love, Love, Married Couple, Married Life, True Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2020-01-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 17:40:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21872332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EndlessExplorer/pseuds/EndlessExplorer
Summary: A collection of fictions based around my favorite ships and what they do for the holidays. May contain AU's but mostly just some dorks in love, covered in snow...
Relationships: Arthur Maxson/Female Sole Survivor, Kurusu Akira/Niijima Makoto, Male Inquisitor/Cassandra Pentaghast, Male Sole Survivor/Piper Wright, Paladin Danse/Female Sole Survivor, Rose of Sharon Cassidy/Male Lone Wanderer, Selina Kyle/Bruce Wayne
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy,  
> Leave a kudos,  
> or a comment,  
> and most importantly,  
> HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Makoto had never regretted anything in her entire life. A year spent as a guardian of justice that in turn led to an accredited career as the youngest Captain in the history of the TPD?

Never!

What about marrying her long term boyfriend, Akira Kurusu?

Not in her wildest dreams!

Giving birth to over energetic twins that could single-handedly power the entire city of Tokyo?

Sometimes…

It was Christmas Day and a part of Makoto wanted to jump up out of bed, wrap her arms around her son and daughter, and celebrate the jolliest day of the year with her family. Unfortunately, after a long busy shift in the precinct, she was exhausted, and could she barely form a mumble. The mattress shifted and Makoto rolled onto her back.

“C’mon you two! Let’s leave momma rest and go and make breakfast!”

At the sheer mention of food, Zhan leapt from their bed and ran towards the Kitchen. Mei simply held her beloved teddy a little closer to her chest while attempting to climb up to hug her mother. Akira scooped her into his arms and brought her closer to Makoto. Makoto kissed Mei before she fell back into the bed. The faint patter of footsteps told her that Mei had left to join her brother and Makoto allowed herself to be swallowed by the soft cotton. A kiss to the tip of her nose brought her back to reality for a moment where she met Akira’s eyes. He was grinning from ear to ear.

“You rest up as long as you want Mako. I’ll keep the two Kaiju’s occupied. Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas Aki… Thanks.”

A thud erupted from the kitchen followed by hysterical laughter. Mako, on instinct, went to investigate but couldn’t offer any resistance to Akira who simply pushed her back down.

“I’ll check up on them. You should rest.”

Akira left and Makoto could barely hold her eyes open. She blinked once… twice… before coming face to face with Zhan who was covered from head to toe in flour. He had a mischievous grin on his face that rivalled anything that Joker, or Queen, could have managed even at the peak of their crime fighting ways. Zhan began to kneed his mother’s face, laughing all the while.

“sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry…”

Zhan soon disappeared as Akira picked him up and carried him from the room. A faint click told her that Akira had locked the room. Sleep quickly overtook her.

\--

A thud woke her from her slumber. Makoto’s eyes shot open as another followed… and another. Makoto stretched before she threw the blanket off and slipped into a pair of slippers that rested beside the bed. Something caught her eye. A mug sitting on the bedside table. It wasn’t just any mug however; it was her favourite mug filled to the brim. It was warm and perfectly brewed with a note pinned underneath.

‘Had a feeling you might want this. Kids are bathed, fed, and we’re probably out in the yard. Join us when you can. There’s breakfast left in the kitchen.”

Makoto cast a glance at her phone as her feet carried her towards the gorgeous smell radiating from the kitchen. It was full of messages from their family, ranging from Sae to every one of the thieves, wishing the Kurusu-Niijima’s a merry Christmas. Makoto replied to each one before she tucked into the hearty breakfast that Akira had prepared. Eggs, sausage, bacon, toast, fried potato, there was enough food there to feed a small army, but one could be a glutton during the holidays and while she knew that it would mean a few extra hours working it all off, Makoto was willing to make the sacrifice. The idea of watching Akira getting shirtless after a long workout made the whole idea all the sweeter.

Her hunger sated, Makoto quickly got dressed and headed outside to join her family. A scarf tightly wrapped around her neck, plus a maroon beanie helped combat the chill as well as they could have, but Makoto still shivered from the drastic change.

“MAMA!!”

Even with her heightened senses from her time as Queen, or the skills she honed as a police detective was never enough to catch both Zhan and Mei when they were excited. A bolt out of her peripheral gave little warning as spots of red and black emerged from the brilliant white snow. Makoto lifted Mei up before ruffling Zhan’s hair before he ran off again. Mei pressed herself almost flush against her mother, before rubbing her nose off of Mako’s.

“That’s how eskimos kiss… I think? Papa said so.”

Makoto couldn’t help but laugh. That was just like Akira, but then she realised something.

“Hey Mei? Where is your Papa?”

Makoto looked around but couldn’t find any sign of him. Deciding to leave him be, Makoto played with her children, who quickly came down with a sudden case of rib splitting laughter. A shadow loomed over Makoto and before she could turn around, a bucket of snow was dumped down on top of her. Akira couldn’t control his own laughter that was soon bolstered by his two small accomplices. He was pretty certain that Yaolboath could ever hear Makoto’s yelp from the deep dark corner of hell that he had cast the god of chaos into. It was when Makoto rose up from the mound that she had been buried under, that Akira realised his folly. He fell to one knee and addressed Zhan and Mei.

“Zhan, I need you to take care of your mother and your sister. I’m pretty certain that Momma wants to bury somewhere where no one would dare look for me. Mei, I want you to look after your brother so that he can look after you.”

Mei looked in confusion as her father ran off and hoped over the fence with ease as her mother burst out from the mound with fire in her eyes. Akira was quickly betrayed when Zhan saw that look in his mother’s eyes that would reduce his father to dust.

“I can’t believe I’ve been betrayed by my own son?!”

Makoto smiled sweetly at the twins before turning in the direction of Akira’s voice.

“Now remember guys, you didn’t see anything…”

\--- Later, in the P.T group chat---

M: “I’m sorry to say that I am now a widow…”

R: “Shit! What happened to Akira?!”

H: “Yeah? What happened Mako-chan?”

AK: “I may have dumped snow on Makoto earlier and now I have to sleep on the couch.”

M: “He died.”

M: “Sometimes I think I can still hear his voice.”

F: “HA! Control, Alt, and Delete his ass Queen!”

AN: “That’s what you get Akira! Hey Makoto? Make him give you a foot massage!”

H: “That’s a great idea Ann-chan! I know some great scented oils and soaps. I’ll send some on!”

AN: “No Haru… It’s his punishment. He has to pay for it. But Mako? Make him get the expensive stuff!”

R: “Hey man, it’s ok. I’m still fighting your corner.”

AN: “One second there girls. I just have to fix something.”

-Five minutes later-

R: “Sorry dude. That was a dumbass thing to do, you’re on your own.”

AK: “Ruiji?! What have they done to you?!”

R: “Wha?! I just thought about it and the girls make a good point. That was a dick move man…”

AK: “Ann has corrupted you!”

F: “Psycho Mantis inverted his controller!”

AK: “At least my whole family hasn’t abandoned me. Zhan just brought me a glass of water.”

AK: “Update: Zhan threw the glass of ice cold water all over me. I’m freezing now. I think he ran off saying something about avenging Makoto?”

AN: “HA!”

R: “HA!”

F: “HA!”

H: “HA!”

Y: “Did I miss something?”

\--- In a private message ---

AK: “Can I come up? I miss you and the couch cushion isn’t anywhere near as nice to cuddle…”

M: The Queen has decided to allow your request.


	2. A ghost from the past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now we travel to the Commonwealth, to Arthur and Guinevere Maxson, where Arthur meets a ghost from the past.

Arthur pulled at the woollen jumper wrapped around his chest. He missed the familiar weight of his armoured coat that was currently hung up on a coat rack in Piper’s new office. Gwen, who had insisted he wear the festive sweater was walking ahead a small bit, animatedly chatting with Piper.

“I can’t believe you managed to get him to agree to come along with us Blue. I mean, he doesn’t exactly scream ‘festive’.”

Arthur looked up from the grimy spot he noticed on his boot to find himself under watch. Piper seemed ready to crack a joke to which Arthur was equally ready to rebuke, but the look of happiness and serenity on Gwen’s face stopped them both. Gwen walked closer to Arthur and slung her arms around his shoulders.

“I’d appreciate it Piper if you’d stop mocking him. Christmas is a time to spend with your friends and family. I happen to think that the only way he’d look even more festive is if he had a sack over his shoulder and a platoon of Radstags trailing behind him.” Gwen pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek before whispering a ‘thank you’ in his ear. She ran off after Piper. Arthur, despite being married now for the best part of two years still found an almost childlike glee from Gwen’s affectionate tendencies. Straggling off after them, Arthur rubbed his cheek.

Everyone was gathered around the stage area, waiting for Mayor Ellie to take her place on stage. After McDonagh and his true identity as a synth had been revealed, a vacuum for control of the green jewel had led to frequent infighting between the citizens of the city and it’s ‘nobility’. Gwen had used her leverage and extensive number of favours to elect a true neutral power for the mayoral seat. Nick Valentine stayed clear of it and Piper was warned to steer clear of it. This led on to Nick suggesting Ellie. Ellie had been against the plan at first, but Nick had insisted on it.

“My files have never been neater, and Diamond City needs someone who is actually capable in running the place. Everyone knows you and everyone loves you.”

Ellie had agreed, on the sole condition that she’s voted in. A snap election had pit Ellie against Ann Codman. Ellie had won by a long shot and Ann had wanted a recount, but it made no difference. Diamond City had chosen her new mayor.

Finally they reached the stage where it seemed that Gwen was also supposed to be going up on stage. Arthur took his seat between Piper and Nick and watched as Gwen addressed the crowd. A mechanical digit drew his attention when Nick offered Arthur a cigarette. Arthur declined the offer and Nick shrugged his shoulders before taking a drag and sitting back. There had been a lot of mixed feelings and angry outbursts when Arthur had first met the ‘clockwork detective’. Arthur had almost blown a hole through the wall going after Nick, but Gwen had stopped the action dead in its tracks. Gwen kicked him out that evening and he bumped into the last person he expected to, Nick. In a show of good faith, purely on Gwen’s behalf, Nick had shown up unarmed and unarmoured. They talked before getting into a slightly heated argument which in turn, became a bare knuckle boxing match in the street. Gwen had bolted out of her house, urging them both to stop but Nick had said that it was his idea and he wanted a chance to “put the king on his ass”. Both of them had come out of that fight with scars but the tension had been almost erased between them. Gwen came up and slapped them both for their behaviour but had been ecstatic when they seemed to finally get along. Nick passed a comment when Gwen kissed the aggressive scarlet bruise on Arthur’s knuckle, however they all laughed it off afterward.

Arthur smiled as Gwen walked over and flicked the switch. Diamond City lit up like the brightest star in the sky as houses, streets, and storefronts were bathed in bright light. Bing Crosby began to smoothly croon over the loudspeakers and a festive spirit infectiously came over everyone. After Piper had taken a quick photo of Ellie and Gwen, Gwen leapt from the stage into Arthur’s awaiting arms. Gwen laughed as Arthur kissed her on the neck and his beard, that as she put it was a case of organised chaos, tickled her neck. Arthur refused to put her down and laughed as Gwen began to shriek. Bridal style, Arthur carried her to Takeshi where she picked up two noodle bowls. People were dancing, drinking, and being merry and the sight warmed Gwen’s heart. Once the noodles were eaten, Gwen placed her bowl down and used Arthur as a chair for a moment before spinning around and kissing him, hard. She smelled of Brocflower and Mutfruit, sinister sweet sensations that had completely overtook Arthur’s senses. He could taste spices, meat, and noodles but he wasn’t sure if that was from his own mouth or hers. Lights blinked in his head like a thousand stars and Arthur would have been happy to stay like that forever. However, life isn’t always fair, and Piper soon emerged from the crowds, intoxicated and bubbly.

“Oh look. The *hic* king and queen of the *hic* brotherhood are k.i.s.s.i.n.g!”

Gwen rolled her eyes and turned to face her best friend.

“Well I would hope so! It’s Christmas, I’m happily married, and I don’t have the bogeyman of the commonwealth breathing down my neck like last year!”

Piper simply laughed and pulled a bottle of amber liquid from her trademark trench coat. “Hey Blue? Wanna get drunk with me?”

Gwen turned to face Arthur for a minute before standing up. His pride forbade him from showing it, but that warmth that Gwen brought with her was as addictive as one of Hancock’s ‘Mystery cocktails’. “Sure why not! It’s not like I’m the dedicated driver tonight!”

Piper grabbed Gwen’s hand and they soon disappeared into the crowd. Arthur quickly finished his own noodle bowl before it got sickeningly cold and sat back, watching everyone dance. A lifetime of activity soon came to light when Arthur began to feel an uneasy stiffness in his arms. Rather than getting caught up in the activity of everything, he decided to take a walk through the fens where it would be slightly quieter. Young couples were making out against the tin walls, and Arthur continued on until he heard something. It sounded like a child. He decided to investigate since he was probably the only person here who was within the relative definition of being sober. It didn’t take him long, but he soon found a small girl clutching her knee and a ragged teddy bear. She seemed tense but quickly focused more on the cut on her knee that was steadily bleeding.

“Hello there. What’s your name?”

“Kat. Why’d you wanna know?”

“Well Kat, call me curious. Now, where are your parents?”

“I dunno. I was following my mom when I slipped and lost her in the crowd.”

Arthur grabbed the sleeve and tore off a strip of fabric. Binding it around the cut, Arthur stretched out his hand. Kat slowly took it and soon found herself hoisted up onto Arthur’s shoulder.

“What do you say to going and finding your mom?” Kat nodded her head and clutched her teddy a little tighter.

“Kat is a nice name…”

“Yeah, my full name is Catherine. After my granny.”

Arthur continued to walk through the crowds with Kat until she frantically pointed to a woman in the crowd.

“MOMMA!!”

The woman whipped around so fast that Arthur was afraid that she’d snapped her neck, but her arms stretched out to invite Kat into a tight embrace. She showered Kat in kisses and promises that she would never be allowed out of her sight ever again. Finally, her attention was drawn to Arthur, but Arthur soon found himself unable to speak. He’d recognize that face anywhere.

“Sarah?”

It took her a few seconds before recognition flashed across her eyes.

“Artie?”

A man soon walked out of the crowd and wrapping his hand lazily around Sarah’s waist, he pressed a kiss to her cheek. Another ghost from the past.

“David?”

\--

“What’s going on here?! You’re dead! I mourned for you two!”

As Arthur began to get louder, a crowd began to gather around them. The music quietened and Gwen appeared.

“Arthur, please not here.”

“Can someone please explain to me why I’m talking to a dead woman!”

Kat stood behind Sarah as Gwen came up and stood beside Arthur. She could clearly see that, for a rare moment, Arthur was becoming emotional. He looked hurt and angry.

“What’s going on?” Arthur spun on his heel and addressed Gwen. It was strange to see him so uncontrolled.

“Gwen, may I introduce Sarah Lyons, Former squad leader of the Lyon’s pride and former Elder of the eastern chapter of the brotherhood of steel. The closest thing I ever had to family in my youth and, I can’t fail to mention, a dead woman.”

Gwen glanced over Arthur’s shoulder towards Sarah. People were beginning to stare so guiding everyone towards Home Plate, she used the extra key that she never gave Piper so that they could have somewhere private to talk.

Sarah and David sat on the couch with Kat sitting between them. Arthur paced the floor while Gwen sat in the middle. A neutral third party.

“Right. Since introductions are required, I’ll start. I’m Gwen Maxson, Sentinel of the Eastern Chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel and Arthur’s wife.”

Gwen immediately picked up on Sarah’s and David’s equally surprised expressions at the news. The room was silent until David spoke up.

“Congratulations Arthur. We would have sent a gift if we weren’t meant to be… you know… dead.”

Arthur strode up towards the couches with determination to strike the Lyon’s although nothing came out. He turned to the wall and the couches several times but couldn’t seem to put words together. Finally he punched the wall before falling into the seat beside Gwen. Everyone could see that Arthur’s knuckles had gotten cut and were bleeding. He didn’t seem to care. Gwen left the room momentarily and returned with a small roll of gauze. As she began to wrap his hands with the sterile cloth, Arthur looked Sarah dead in the eyes and asked a question.

“Why?”

It hurt Gwen to hear the pain in Arthur’s voice. Pressing a kiss to his wrapped hand, Gwen held his hand in hers. She was here for him, but it would do no good to run this show. Gwen did pick up however that Arthur’s question seemed to cause Sarah to bristle slightly.

“Why?! I’ll tell you why. After my father died, it fell to me to run the chapter. My ‘advisors’ second guessed every choice I made simply because I didn’t want to kill every single creature that had a rad in it. After I found out that I was pregnant, I knew it would only sow more doubt on my orders as Elder so we decided to fake my death so that David and I could raise our daughter outside of the Brotherhood.”

“I WAS TWELVE WHEN YOU ABANDONED ME!”

Sarah and David recoiled slightly at the obvious anguish in his voice.

“My mother sent me away because she thought I was too weak. After I lost Owyn and then you two, I had no one. I mourned and took my anger out on the wastelands. I had plenty followers but no family!” It suddenly clicked with Gwen why Arthur had been so cold towards their relationship in the beginning. “You could have told me. I would have been sad that you were leaving but I would have understood…”

“I’m sorry Arthur, but we couldn’t risk anyone finding out.”

“Well as far as I’m concerned, you’re still dead and I’m only talking to ghosts from my past…”

Sarah seemed to pick up on what Arthur was saying and began to usher her family towards the door. David left, followed closely by Kat before Sarah stopped at the door. She cast a quick glance over her shoulder towards Arthur.

“I know I hurt you but it’s nice to see your still alive Artie. Glad to know you took my advice to heart and kept going for the kidney…” Sarah closed the door behind her, and Home Plate fell silent. Gwen knew that Arthur would be a storm of emotions for a while because she was one of the very few that were allowed to see that side of him.

“We’ll stay here until you’re ready to go.”

“It’s alright Gwen. You can go out and enjoy yourself.”

“No I can’t when I know that you’re in here in pain. I’m not going anywhere Arthur until you’re humming Christmas carols with a smile on your face.”

Arthur stared at Gwen. Her smile was bright, her eyes even brighter. There was a stubbornness born from love in there also and Arthur had to wonder how he had been so lucky after a life of pain.

“Bing Crosby or Nat King Cole? Oh it doesn’t matter, I’ll pick!”

As the velvet smooth tunes of Nat King Cole began to fill the small office, Arthur couldn’t help the smile tugging at the corners of his lips as Gwen began to dance closer and closer towards him. He wrapped his arms around her slender, muscular form.

“Thank you and Merry Christmas. I love you.”

“Merry Christmas Arthur. I love you too.”


	3. Paladin Danse X Female Sole Survivor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here we meet a couple in the Boston Commonwealth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm REALLY SORRY that I couldn't keep up with the time schedule of posting these Christmas themed stories but here is part 3 finally!
> 
> For a while I wasn't sure if I was really able to get the message across through the story but hopefully I did everyone's favorite Paladin justice.  
> Please read, rate, and enjoy.

Winter had come to the Commonwealth. The ground was blanketed in brilliant white and everything seemed to finally slow down. The Institute were dead, and the Minutemen were establishing themselves as the lawful hand of Justice. Raiders didn’t dare go near most of the settlements and the gunners who valued their lives stuck to their base in Pike overpass in fear of the Generals wrath.

Still, the peace didn’t mean that there wasn’t any more danger lurking about and that led to Danse going on patrol between settlements. He was thankful for the offer to join the minutemen. The cruel truth about his identity hit him hard and cast his beliefs in doubt. Was he just some sick scientists plaything? Were his thoughts his own or some lines of computer code? He used to be so sure of himself and his thoughts but that all changed when the proctors encrypted that data.

Just ahead he saw the familiar walls of Sanctuary. This had been the Minutemen’s Homebase for their early days, and it showed. The walls were an impressive mixture of brick, mortar, and scrap metal. Turrets constantly scanned the roads for possible threats, farms grew food that would feed Sanctuary’s settlers as well as be shipped out via the provisioners network if a settlement was in need of supplies. It was mind-boggling and all because of one woman. The General, and his partner, Freya Dunbrook.

Freya was like a force of nature. An unmovable object against the evil of the wastes. Danse was more than impressed by her when they stormed Arcjet systems together, but he also knew that she was more than a simple settler, despite her insistence on the matter. She stayed around Cambridge for a while after and helped Haylin repair the radio antennae as well as help Danse with his power armour repairs. One night however, when Rys had too much to drink, he attempted to catch Freya by surprise. Danse had never seen a move like it in his life but Freya wrapped her arm around Rys’ neck and had rendered him unconscious within mere seconds. After placing Rys within one of the cells for his attempted attack on a team member and after Haylin had made sure that he would suffer no ill effects from the attack, Danse and Freya had gone up to the roof of the station and had a talk. Here Danse found out that there was a lot more than met the eye with Freya.

Widow, mother, scientist, assassin. Freya spilled out her entire history to Danse that evening. He had even found out that she had been the Director of the Bureau of Domestic Invasions, a wing of government defence that he was certain the archivists back home would pick her brain over. She asked him that night if he would allow her some leave. He said yes and she was gone by morning.

Then the Prydwen arrived and war had officially fallen upon the commonwealth. Freya returned and they met the Elder, Arthur. After being impressed by her skills just like everyone else, Arthur put her in charge of the mission on infiltrating the Institute. No one was surprised when she managed to get in, or get out again, and Gladius had drank to the success of their team member that night in the mess. Danse had forgone his power armour and the atmosphere was merry and for the first time in a long time, light. In a stupor, Freya kissed Danse on the lips. Danse, being less intoxicated than Freya, could remember that feeling of her lips on his. Soft, firm, and electric. Danse had tried to describe it to himself but the experience was too much to handle. He excused himself early that night and went to the flight deck to cool his heated skin. Then common sense hit him. Danse could rival most scribes in his knowledge of the codex and he knew that relationships between subordinates was forbidden. He would be forced to send Freya off to join another squad but before he could manage to explain the situation to her, his world was flipped on its head.

Danse had only heard about the plan to resurrect Liberty Prime in secret. A passing word uttered between the Proctors, but it seemed that Freya and Ingram were working in tandem to repair the nuclear automaton. Danse was limited to training drills while Freya was sent off to the four corners of the wastes looking for supplies. The next time he saw Freya, they were heading deep into the glowing sea to find the Sentinel site and Liberty Primes payload. Unsurprisingly, they finished the mission in record time and Danse stayed behind to guard the munitions. That’s when he received the news. They had cracked the code and the truth had come out. He was a synth. He was masquerading around as a dead man. Morals fought against basic instincts and in the end, instincts won. Danse went underground and waited for the inevitable.

Arthur had sent Freya for his head and then Danse had gotten to witness an unstoppable force going up against an unmovable object. Freya had petitioned the grim reaper to leave him live and he allowed it. She offered him a position as Captain in the Minutemen, and she saved him a second time.

But that was all history now. The bogeyman had been defeated by a historic collaboration between the Minutemen and the Brotherhood. There was talk of a bandit haven operating out of a theme park and while it was being investigated, they weren’t beating down the Commonwealth’s doors. It would be dealt with in time…

“Hey Captain!”

Danse waved at the gate guard. Brian Yates was his name. He was young, and excited but eager to help out. While the chain of command was still respected in the Minutemen, it wasn’t as strict as the Brotherhood. ‘Captain’ was almost like a nickname.

“Hello Brian. Any trouble tonight?”

“Nothing serious sir. A couple Molerats and some wild dogs. Turrets got’em long before they reached the gates. Kinda boring here really…”

Danse flicked the power switch on his rifle and swung it over his shoulder. “Brian, you are the responsible for the defence of Sanctuary. You can’t allow feelings to get in the middle of your mission. You have to always be ready and watching. Danger could spring out of the shadows at any moment. Especially if a blizzard heads our way.”

Brian saluted Danse before readying his rifle. “Aye sir!”

Danse smiled before heading in through the gate. “Actually Captain? The general asked me to send you to her house as soon as you got back. She didn’t seem angry or anything, but I wouldn’t keep her waitin’. The General is one scary lady…”

Danse couldn’t help but laugh. “More than you know…”

_‘What would she want me for though?’_

Danse rapped his knuckle against the door. Sweet smells rolled out from underneath the door and he could see a tree standing in her living room. He could remember the stories she told him about how she had rebuilt her house and it was evident. It almost seemed like a time pocket, like it had been plucked from a single moment in the past and deposited directly in front of him. The door opened and for a single moment, Danse and Freya were looking at each other confused. Freya’s face however melted into a smile of happiness as she recognized Danse. Her raven hair was tied up in a messy bun and she was coated in what looked like paints and powders. She was wearing an apron and like her house, Freya looked like an old world housewife. It was almost like her doorway was a portal into a bygone time where the danger of constant radiation and 20 foot tall predatory lizards were the fever dream of authors and conspiracy theorists. Freya, while not being a short woman, stretched to the tips of her toes as she wrapped her arms around Danse’s neck. As Danse couldn’t help but reciprocate the affectionate actions, he could feel a heat building in his core. It was more powerful than any whiskey or moonshine and the heat ran like electricity from the tips of the hairs on the top of his head to the tips of his toes. It was powerful in a way that he had never realized it could be, like he had his own personal sun shining down over his head. A clock behind her chimed and she leapt from his embrace into the kitchen area where she pulled a tray from the oven, humming in delight as she brought them close to her nose. She cast a glance at Danse standing still in her doorway and laughed.

“Would you get in here and shut the door behind you?! You’re leaving all the warmth out…”

Danse shuffled into the house and stood in the middle of the room as Freya almost seemed to dance around him. She hummed merry tunes as she prepared another tray of shaped oddities and proceeded to place them in the oven. With a sigh of relief, she removed the apron and took the pin from her hair, shaking it free of its bun. Danse couldn’t help but watched the raven locks as they bobbed and danced before finally resting on her shoulders.

“Jeez Danse, you seem as though you’d be more at home in a room full of Radroaches…”

“Oh ah no! Freya, thank you for inviting me into your home and all, but Brian said that you wanted me?”

Almost like a ghost, Freya appeared before him and ran her hands up his arms to the collar of the leather jacket he was wearing. Her fingers slipped beneath the warm layers and even through the moderate armour plating, Danse could feel the prickly feeling of her fingers running across his skin. While he would be lying if he said that he had never had any less than gentlemanly thoughts about Freya, her friendship had always been more important to him. Now, he wasn’t sure if it was the close contact or the log burning fire that had his palms sweaty and his mind foggy.

“Yeah, I did. Is it really so wrong to want to spend the holiday season with those closest to us?”

As Danse tried to put together some form of a cognitive answer, his coat had been removed and placed upon a stand by the door. He then made the mistake of looking Freya in the eyes and the sight of the fire dancing in her amber orbs had caused Danse’s almost famous tactful brain to misfire.

“You seem so tense… do you not trust me or something?”

Danse had to fix things fast. Being a career soldier had its perks and one was the training of burying one’s emotions. Freya cut a bloody path through the Commonwealth, but she still had that soft side to her. That part that would cry for the Old World and lost friends. It might sound cliché but Danse hated it when she cried. Such a genuine sound of loss and anguish, it broke his heart when he heard it first, or at least whatever he has that he could call a heart…

“Oh course I trust you Freya. I trust you more than I dare trust most people but… but… there are things that need doing! Barriers need patching, inventory needs counting…”

Freya didn’t seem happy with his answer. In fact, the change in body language was quick and Danse could recognize the look in her eyes. The look that told their enemies that they had lost this fight. She flicked up a finger.

“You just went on patrol, yes? And I’m guessing by the fact that you even came here, that you have nothing out of the ordinary to report?”

Danse could only nod his head. A second finger popped up.

“Brian and the other Minutemen are watching the gates. They have functional radios, flares, plus fine sets of lungs that they can use to call for help, yes?”

Again, Danse could only nod. A smirk broke across Freya’s face. It only broadened once she noticed that Danse was right against the arm of the couch.

“Then do me a favour and relax!”

With one hand, she managed to push Danse back onto the couch. He froze as he saw the almost predatorial look in her eyes as she slowly climbed onto the couch and onto his chest. She ran a trail of chaste kisses from his navel to the small cleft between his pecs and sat back, straddling his chest. Danse could barely think, his mind long having stopped working. He focused on his senses. His mouth was dry. Freya’s hips were locked tight around his midriff. Every inch of skin that made contact was hot. Freya sat back and gave a lightened chuckle. This helped break Danse temporarily out of his reverie. The laugh was angelic. It was genuine and Danse had made a silent vow that he never wanted Freya to stop. He wasn’t sure what made him do it, but his hands trailed up Freya’s and finally rested on her cheeks. For what felt like forever, they simply stared into each other’s eyes before Danse broke away and stared at the floor, looking upset.

Freya had a feeling she knew what was biting away at him. She leant down and took his hand in hers. She was always trying to help Danse see through his true identity, but she knew that it was a deep scar that would take it’s time to heal. She’d see him through it.

Danse didn’t look up but he didn’t offer any resistance when Freya took his hand. Her hands were soft and smooth. Well maintained and cared for. Slightly sticky but he attributed that to whatever she had been doing in the kitchen. Her touch was warm and tender, almost affectionate but it felt foreign and perplexing.

“Adrian Danse, you will look me in the eye and tell me if you don’t want to be here!”

No reaction but she had a feeling that the former Paladin wasn’t the best with words. Time for a different approach. Pulling up her sweater, she placed his hand over her heart. She could feel his arm tense up, but she was stronger than most would assume. It didn’t hinder her for a second.

“What do you feel?”

Danse tried to concentrate. His hand’s proximity to certain intimate areas was starting to cloud his mind but this wasn’t the time. His hands grew clammy from the contact with warm skin. He could feel a light drumming against his palm.

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

She pulled his hand away and placed it in a similar position on his own chest. Danse wanted to crack a joke and tell her that she had improved in the technique he had taught her about disarming her opponent, but like earlier this wasn’t the time. Danse watched as her brow crinkled ever so slightly – a tell that she was deeply focused on her task, also something that he found personally endearing.

“What do you feel?”

“Other than you sitting on my chest or my hand being pressed against my chest?”

Freya sat back momentarily before swinging her hair out of her face. “Where was that wiseass buried?”

“Under years of dedicated service and military protocols. Its… refreshing having the freedom to speak openly.”

“I’m sorry Danse. But lets get one thing straight. Arthur was and is a major idiot for kicking you out. I admire the man’s brains and tact but he’s a fool. Now, back to my previous question, what do you feel?”

Danse paused for a moment. He could feel it. A soft tremor beating within his chest.

_Thump. Thump. Thump…_

Just like Freya, he had a heartbeat. A clear sign that he was flesh and blood like everyone else. All those laser burns and gunshot wounds weren’t some fabricated dream put together by a scientist tapping away furiously at a terminal. They were memories, feelings, real and tangible. The ringing of a bell brought him out of his reverie as Freya smiled down at him. Danse’s eyes flew to the scar across her cheek where a Deathclaw had gotten too close for comfort. The skin was torn and pulls when she smiles, but there is still very little more beautiful than Freya’s genuine smile in a world as drab and gloomy as this. He couldn’t forget it.

“You’re as human as the rest of us, you big lug. Now come on and help me ice these biscuits. I’ll never get them done with you distracting me all the time.”

Hope had never been a huge part of Danse’s life. He usually put more faith in the Rifle in his hands and the trueness of his aim, but for her, he’d hope. For her, he’d trek the breadth and width of this glowing green earth, just to see that smile again.

“I’d love to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keeping with our setting trend, we are now off to the Mojave Wasteland. Maybe all that praying really did bring a nuclear Winter???


End file.
